For Mary and Patrick Moore, owners of Moore Bagels, bagels are more than just food — bagels are a lifestyle. Moore Bagels, an up-and-coming family-owned bagel shop in Marlton, New Jersey, will open its second location on Main Street, Moorestown towards the end of September.
Named the “Best Bagel Sandwiches of 2023” by the South Jersey Magazine, Moore Bagels is known for its unique bagel sandwich combinations and freshly baked dough. Some highlights of the menu include the “Patty Mo” and the “Nitwit,” both pork roll-based sandwiches named after Patrick Moore; the new sandwich the “Hangover,” a cheesesteak with chipotle sauce and hashbrowns; and the Bryce Harper chicken salad.
Every day, four hundred to five hundred pounds of dough are house-made and formed into bagels. These unique handmade bagels, as well as the coffee blends, are named after local symbols and places important to the Moore family, such as the “Marlton” and the “Cherokee.” Moore plans to bring this tradition to the new Moorestown location with menu items such as the “Quaker,” the “Main St.,” and “possibly the ‘Foxes.’” Coffee blends are also specially made for Marlton and Moorestown.
Being an avid community member of South Jersey, staying local is a major aspect of Moore Bagels’ identity. “We’re all about meeting people in the community,” said Mary Moore, “My husband knows almost everyone that walks in here; that’s important [to us], to know faces, names, and about people’s lives.” The Moores want to provide the same experience to Moorestown by connecting with the community, especially the kids, through bagels.
Giving back to the community is a crucial part of Moore Bagels’ mission. If there are ever any leftover bagels (which is not frequent since the shop usually sells out), they are repurposed for breadcrumbs or bagel chips or given to food banks and farmers. The Moores also love to support other local businesses — coffee blends are created by Lakes Coffee in Medford Lakes, New Jersey, about a 25-minute ride from Moorestown Friends.
In conjunction with helping people in the community, the Moore family wants to have a positive impact on students: “We love having kids visiting us and employing kids, so supporting them in their school and outside-of-school endeavors is really important to us.” The majority of the employees in the Marlton shop are teenagers, Mary Moore explained: “It’s like having more kids. I get that feeling of having a second home here and that’s my favorite part of my job.”
As a former elementary school teacher for twenty-two years, Mary Moore sees similarities between Moore Bagels and teaching: “The bagel shop is a lot like teaching sometimes because I have to teach the kids [that I hire] and take care of people who walk in the door; it’s a nurturing job at the same time.”
Patrick Moore did not have prior experience in the food industry, working as a police officer for 17 years, but he left the force because of an injury. To keep himself busy, he decided to research how to start a business — particularly a bagel business. As a passionate bagel connoisseur, he and his wife had always loved eating bagels all over the Tri-State area, inspiring them to create their own. After rounds of perfecting the secret dough recipe and recipe testing, “Our hobby turned into a lifestyle,” said Mary Moore.
As a successful business, the shop wanted to add another branch to Moorestown, specifically at 65 East Main Street. The building there seemed right for several reasons. The Moore family had been eyeing that previously vacant building for at least three years, preparing to expand Moore Bagels for their two kids to take over the business once they’re old enough.
“We wanted at least two shops in the local area for our two kids,” said Mary Moore, whose late father helped the couple secure the building, as it “called to him,” making it seem like they had his stamp of approval at that place. Coincidentally, both their Marlton and Moorestown addresses would be located at street number 65.
“It just seemed like destiny,” noted Mary Moore.
